I Wish Grandpas Never Died and I Wish All the Lyrics Would Be This Honest

Riley Green may get some flak for this, but I am thrilled that he put this line in this video.

In case you missed it, Green’s latest tune, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” is all about things he’s pining for: porches with swings, kids who say “sir” and “ma’am”, Monday mornings that feel just like Friday nights, cars with truck beds, and coolers that are always full of cold Bud Light. You get the gist.

Then there was this line.

“I wish country music still got played on country radio,” Green sings. I love the sentiment, and he’s not wrong. But imagine you’re a country radio programmer, and you’re deciding whether or not to play it. Tough call, right? So some stations asked Green for a version of the song that didn’t openly criticize their less-than-country playlists. So Green recorded a version with, “I wish George Jones still got played on country radio.”

But in the video, Green left the line intact, and it sounds even better when the 3,000 fans at the Phenix City Amphitheater in Alabama were singing that line right along with him. Word for word.

Green penned the song on his own, but he shares the songwriting credits with his two late grandfathers, Buford Green and Lendon Bonds, who inspired the wistful ballad. And Shaun Silva directed the music video starring Green and all 3,000 of his background singers.

Alison makes her living loving country music. She’s based in Chicago, but she’s always leaving her heart in Nashville.